County committee to examine county regs

Published: Monday, February 4, 2013 at 9:59 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, February 4, 2013 at 9:59 p.m.

Businesses concerned that county rules are impeding their livelihoods will have a new ally this spring. County commissioners approved the formation of a new “regulation review committee” Monday that will examine the county's code book for unnecessary or burdensome regulations.

At the urging of Commissioner Grady Hawkins, the board called on business people to apply to join the committee and fleshed out a charter spelling out its purpose, duration and direction. Interested citizens have 30 days to fill out an application to volunteer.

Hawkins said he's heard from small and large business owners concerned about certain rules. The committee could “let us know about those onerous regulations that we always talk about,” he said, “so that at a point, we could get all those together and address them and see which ones are truly valid and we need.”

County Manager Steve Wyatt suggested that committee members, once chosen by the board, would need an orientation from County Attorney Russ Burrell and Interim Planning Director Autumn Radcliff to keep their focus on regulations within the county's purview.

“Because a lot of the things the county deals with are regulated by the state and federal government,” Wyatt said. “We don't have control over those.”

After two or three months of meeting, commissioners expect the committee will return to the Historic Courthouse and issue a report. Bert Lemkes, co-owner of Van Wingerden International in Mills River, has volunteered to serve as the committee's chairman, Hawkins told the board.

“He's worked on our immigration committee before, so I think that'd be a great start, that he's willing to serve the community in that aspect,” Hawkins said.

While supporting Hawkins' idea, commissioners wondered how far the committee's examination would reach. Vice Chairman Tommy Thompson and Commissioner Larry Young asked if the review would only include laws pertaining to businesses.

“I'd personally like to deal with the whole code book and see what's out there that's an impediment to folks in the community,” replied Hawkins.

Chairman Charlie Messer said he didn't have a problem with forming such a committee, but questioned what will happen if businesses come back asking about things such as setbacks controlled by municipalities, “which we don't have authority over.”

Hawkins said the committee would only be charged with looking at codes that commissioners have control over. He credited the board with updating the county's Land Development Code last September to be more business-friendly.

“Here would be a chance to pull it all together, one final review of it, and bring it up and see what it is, so we can say, ‘That needs to be in there' or ‘That doesn't need to be in there,'” Hawkins said.

Gun control

By a 4-0 vote, with Commissioner Mike Edney absent, the board also passed two resolutions to protect the rights of gun owners.

The first calls upon the governor and General Assembly to “pass or permit no law or other action with the effect of enabling ... any federal law, executive order or regulations restricting the right to keep and bear arms.”

The resolution also prohibits Wyatt from allowing any county staff or resource, including the Sheriff's Office, to implement “any law, executive order or directive, or regulation that has the effect of infringing on the right to keep and bear arms consistent” with the U.S. Constitution.

Hawkins said a number of tragic events recently have spurred lawmakers in Washington and elsewhere to consider gun control measures that would infringe on the Second Amendment.

“And it seems like the more publicity they get, the more copycats that go out and create more news,” he said. “It's a very complex problem, a very serious problem.”

During the public input phase of the meeting, Zirconia resident David Coffin spoke passionately in favor of gun owner rights. Having served 10 years in the N.C. Army National Guard, Coffin said the Second Amendment means a lot to him and his wife, now on active duty in the N.C. Air National Guard.

“I believe and personally feel that anybody, any person, that wants to infringe on those rights in any way personally spits in my face and spits in the face of my wife, because we have stood up, we've put on a uniform to protect that right,” he said.

Commissioners also unanimously approved a resolution, modeled after one in Gaston County, asking state legislators to exempt handgun purchase permits and concealed weapons permits from the list of Sheriff's Office records open to the public.

<p>Businesses concerned that county rules are impeding their livelihoods will have a new ally this spring. County commissioners approved the formation of a new “regulation review committee” Monday that will examine the county's code book for unnecessary or burdensome regulations.</p><p>At the urging of Commissioner Grady Hawkins, the board called on business people to apply to join the committee and fleshed out a charter spelling out its purpose, duration and direction. Interested citizens have 30 days to fill out an application to volunteer.</p><p>Hawkins said he's heard from small and large business owners concerned about certain rules. The committee could “let us know about those onerous regulations that we always talk about,” he said, “so that at a point, we could get all those together and address them and see which ones are truly valid and we need.”</p><p>County Manager Steve Wyatt suggested that committee members, once chosen by the board, would need an orientation from County Attorney Russ Burrell and Interim Planning Director Autumn Radcliff to keep their focus on regulations within the county's purview.</p><p>“Because a lot of the things the county deals with are regulated by the state and federal government,” Wyatt said. “We don't have control over those.”</p><p>After two or three months of meeting, commissioners expect the committee will return to the Historic Courthouse and issue a report. Bert Lemkes, co-owner of Van Wingerden International in Mills River, has volunteered to serve as the committee's chairman, Hawkins told the board. </p><p>“He's worked on our immigration committee before, so I think that'd be a great start, that he's willing to serve the community in that aspect,” Hawkins said. </p><p>While supporting Hawkins' idea, commissioners wondered how far the committee's examination would reach. Vice Chairman Tommy Thompson and Commissioner Larry Young asked if the review would only include laws pertaining to businesses.</p><p>“I'd personally like to deal with the whole code book and see what's out there that's an impediment to folks in the community,” replied Hawkins. </p><p>Chairman Charlie Messer said he didn't have a problem with forming such a committee, but questioned what will happen if businesses come back asking about things such as setbacks controlled by municipalities, “which we don't have authority over.”</p><p>Hawkins said the committee would only be charged with looking at codes that commissioners have control over. He credited the board with updating the county's Land Development Code last September to be more business-friendly.</p><p>“Here would be a chance to pull it all together, one final review of it, and bring it up and see what it is, so we can say, 'That needs to be in there' or 'That doesn't need to be in there,'” Hawkins said.</p><p><b>Gun control</b></p><p>By a 4-0 vote, with Commissioner Mike Edney absent, the board also passed two resolutions to protect the rights of gun owners. </p><p>The first calls upon the governor and General Assembly to “pass or permit no law or other action with the effect of enabling ... any federal law, executive order or regulations restricting the right to keep and bear arms.”</p><p>The resolution also prohibits Wyatt from allowing any county staff or resource, including the Sheriff's Office, to implement “any law, executive order or directive, or regulation that has the effect of infringing on the right to keep and bear arms consistent” with the U.S. Constitution.</p><p>Hawkins said a number of tragic events recently have spurred lawmakers in Washington and elsewhere to consider gun control measures that would infringe on the Second Amendment.</p><p>“And it seems like the more publicity they get, the more copycats that go out and create more news,” he said. “It's a very complex problem, a very serious problem.”</p><p>During the public input phase of the meeting, Zirconia resident David Coffin spoke passionately in favor of gun owner rights. Having served 10 years in the N.C. Army National Guard, Coffin said the Second Amendment means a lot to him and his wife, now on active duty in the N.C. Air National Guard. </p><p>“I believe and personally feel that anybody, any person, that wants to infringe on those rights in any way personally spits in my face and spits in the face of my wife, because we have stood up, we've put on a uniform to protect that right,” he said.</p><p>Commissioners also unanimously approved a resolution, modeled after one in Gaston County, asking state legislators to exempt handgun purchase permits and concealed weapons permits from the list of Sheriff's Office records open to the public. </p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>